Anti-aging benefits:
Despite Vitamin C's notoriety for boosting our immune systems, what you might not know is that it's also involved in collagen production and helps protect skin cells from sun damage, says Bauer.
Where it's found:
Bell peppers (any color)
Broccoli
Strawberries
Guava
Citrus fruits like pineapples, lemons, limes, oranges, etc.
How much you need:
Did you know that bell peppers are packed with 280 mg of Vitamin C, whereas oranges (the poster child of this vitamin) only contain 90 mg? While you need at least 100 mg of Vitamin C daily, Bauer says there's not really a set daily amount that you should eat, so she suggests that you go out of your way to eat two of the aforementioned fruits and/or veggies per day.
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Vitamin E
Anti-aging benefits:
Vitamin E acts as a cell membrane protectant -- it guards what comes in and what goes out of the skin. When combined with Vitamin C, it protects against UV damage.
Where it's found:
Wheat germ (can be added to protein shakes, oatmeal, bread crumbs, muffins, yogurt)
Nuts and seeds (like sunflower seeds, peanuts, almonds)
Avocados
How much you need:
Eat one tbsp of wheat germ; two avocado slices; or a small handful of nuts
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Beta-Carotene
Anti-aging benefits:
Beta-carotene is crucial for skin health, says Bauer. It converts to Vitamin A, which is critically responsible for cell repair and growth.
Where it's found:
(Hint: Orange and deep green produce)
Carrots
Pumpkins
Cantaloupe
Swiss chard
Spinach
Kale
How much you need:
Aim for two servings a day of one of the above fruits and/or veggies.
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Omega-3
Anti-aging benefits:
While "fat" is typically a four-letter word in the dieting world, Omega-3 is a good fat. Healthy fats keep the skin lubricated, help maintain the integrity of the cell membrane, which keeps toxins out of the skin and may even help protect against sun damage, says Bauer.
Where it's found:
Ground flax seeds
Walnuts
Safe, low contaminate fatty fish (such as Wild Salmon, Atlantic Mackerel and sardines)
Edamame
How much you need:
Eat 3 to 5 ounces of fish three to five times per week. If you don't eat fish, you can get your Omega-3s in the form of a fish oil supplement, says Bauer, but she suggests speaking with your doctor before taking one since it can thin your blood. And choose a supplement that has 1000 mg of EPA and DHA combined.
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Polyphenols
Anti-aging benefits:
Studies have shown that polyphenols exhibit anti-cancer properties and may reduce the risk of sun-related cancers.
Where it's found:
Green tea
How much you need:
Drink at least one cup a day.
While there are a ton of state-of-the-art, anti-aging skin care products and treatments on the market, looking younger begins from the inside out. You really are what you eat. Your food should not only satiate your every taste bud and be your fuel, but you should also think of your food as part of your skin care routine. anti-aging vitamins into your breakfast, lunch and dinner will help yield more radiant, youthful skin.
But how do you do that? There are a ton of diets out there for this, that and the other, offering false promises, so it's difficult to know which ones to trust and which ones are bogus. So we called on expert nutritionist, Joy Bauer to give us some skin care tips. She is the nutrition/health expert for "The Today Show" and she advises everyone from the New York City Ballet ballerinas to famous actors and Olympic athletes. Here she shares what the top age-fighting vitamins are, and explains which foods contain these vitamins and how much of these foods you need to eat to get optimum benefits. You might be surprised to find out that some of your favorite foods are already packing a big anti-aging punch, but if not, her advice might inspire you to incorporate a few new foods into your next meal. See anti-aging vitamins now.
